One guy's path to helping the world go waste-free

Educating the public about recycling has been a hot topic in recent months ever since China put up their “Green Fence” and stopped taking many recyclable materials from the United States. At the core, it was motivated by contaminated material being imported from other countries including the United States. What followed was a large-scale push … More City of Buffalo – Environmental Champions Program

Two years ago I began my position as an Analyst with MSW Consultants. The job blends a healthy amount of statistics, data analysis, and fieldwork in the trenches of America’s battle to reduce waste. Waste composition is our company’s bread and butter. The more experienced folks in upper management have participated in a countless number … More How to Conduct a Comprehensive Waste Audit

Recycling shouldn’t be complicated, but unfortunately it is. Single stream recycling has increased the number of people participating in recycling and the volume of material coming in through the front door of recycling facilities, but, many would argue, that the overall quality of recovered commodities has been compromised as a result. Whether it’s wish-cyclers (people … More Questions about Recycling??? I’ve Got Answers

Waste audits offer insight into what your organization is typically discarding on a daily basis, and can provide a valuable array of data from which one can glean many fascinating findings, conclusions, and recommendations. I perform waste audits as part of my career among other waste-related environmental consulting services. Although, material characterization is the most … More Why It’s Important for Your Organization to Perform a Waste Audit

It was the second-to-last week of school before they broke for summer, and the second graders at Monarch Learning Academy, located in West Orlando, were looking pretty fidgety. A close friend of mine and teacher, Shelly, invited me into her class to give a short lesson on recycling for her kids. I was surprised by … More Are you Smarter Than a Second Grader…When Recycling?

Among the hundreds of consumer products produced in the United States, the large majority are difficult to recycle. Really only #1 PET or #2 HDPE plastic bottles are economically recycled, meaning that they generate enough commodity value to incentivize their recoverability. These plastics, like juice pouches, merchandise bags, Styrofoam, straws, plastic utensils, candy wrappers and … More Hefty® EnergyBag™ Program

I had the amazing opportunity to read to a class of kindergartners and learn about how to operate after-school programs for an elementary school in Harlem. The book I chose was “The Lorax,” Dr. Seuss’s environmental manifesto that he wrote way before environmental stewardship became a popular sentiment. I owe the experience to John Reddick, … More Reading “The Lorax” to Kindergartners

“We throw away lots of things every day—paper and food scraps, boxes and wrapping paper. But there’s something that you probably throw away less frequently—but it’s not less impactful on the waste stream. Yes, I’m talking about electronics: your smart phones, your tablets, your printers, your computers. And those electronic additions to our landfills are … More How to Recycle Electronics and Why It’s Important

Automation is hitting all sectors of the economy, and the recycling industry isn’t an exception. ZenRobotics has introduced automated sorting technology to MRFs around Europe and the U.S., specializing in recycling Construction and Demolition (C&D) generated waste. The Finnish based company utilizes AI technology, which has up to a 98% purity rate in separating out … More ZenRobotics: Automated Sorting of Recyclables

Frankly, recycling glass has a relatively low environmental benefit compared to other materials like aluminum cans, paper, cardboard, or plastic bottles. The raw commodities that make glass; sand, limestone, soda ash, and feldspar, are more plentiful than those raw inputs for other materials, yet the Glass Packaging Institute still recommends to recycle your glass bottle … More The Adventure of a Recycled Glass Bottle